Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Within the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson seemed to be the friendly foil to his visionary older brother Brian — he was the fun-loving surfer/drummer who loved booze and women. But this solo set proves he was also a soulful songwriter. Released in 1977 and out of print since 1991, Pacific Ocean Blue is a cinematic meditation on loss, both personal and environmental. A trio of wrenchingly intimate songs about a failed relationship anchor the album: “Thoughts of You,” a piano-based ballad with a wild psychedelic interlude; “Time,” a symphonic cocktail of folk-jazz that gives way to brassy funk; and “You and I,” a simple pop song about hope. Although some arrangements were inspired by Pet Sounds and Smile, Pacific Ocean Blue differs from the Beach Boys sound by using vocal harmonies to accentuate the darkness of the lyrics rather than act as a bright counterpoint to them. Even the uptempo, gospel-choir-fueled “River Song” carries an undercurrent of dread, as Wilson sings about city life encroaching on nature. This double-disc set includes the first official release of Pacific’s follow-up Bambu, a harder-rocking but weaker set that Wilson never finished. Yet the reissue’s heart lies in tracks like “River Song” and the rollicking “What’s Wrong” — two raw, emotional highlights that are as moody as anything Brian ever composed.